The field of applied ethics generally involves the investigation of specific ethical problems, such as abortion, euthanasia, genetic engineering, war, capital punishment, our obligations to starving human beings, our treatment of non-human animals, and our (ab)use of the environment.  Such investigations will help us in our attempt to construct an overall ethical theory and to develop ethical principles which will govern various regions of human life, including the professions of medicine, business, politics, education, and the media.

A minor in applied ethics would make a significant (and marketable!) complement to almost any major; the minor is especially well suited for students majoring in the following:  Biology (especially Health Professions and Environmental Science), Business Administration, Communication Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Religion, Social Work, and Sociology.  (Students majoring in many of these fields may be able to count up to 8 credits of their major coursework towards this minor!)

Required Courses (16 credits)

PHI 203 Ethics (4 credits)
PSC 320 Christians and the Political Order (4 credits)
BUS 218 Business Ethics (2 credits)
REL 260  Christian Ethics (2 credits)
BIO 201 Bioethics (4 credits)

COM 326 Ethics in the Mass Media (3 credits)
COM 327 Communications Law (3 credits)
CSC 450  Value Issues in Computing (2 credits)
PHI 310 Political Philosophy (4 credits)
PHI 350 Special Topics:  Applied Ethics (2 or 4 credits, repeatable)
PSC 206 Politics and Public Policy (4 credits)
PSC 250 Topics in International Problems (2 credits)
PSC 302 Introduction to Law (4 credits)
SOC 202 Social Problems (4 credits)
SOC 303 The Criminal Justice System (4 credits)

For more information, please contact

Professor Randy Jensen
Director of the Applied Ethics Program
Department of Philosophy
Northwestern College
Orange City, IA  51041
(712) 737-7069

Also see the following page for links to other applied ethics programs